Nail-machine.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906. W. J. COSTELLO. NAIL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ABR.1.1903.

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PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

W. J. COSTELLO. NAIL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 19034 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THEYNQRRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

PATENTED JULY a, 1906.

W. J. COSTELLO.

NAIL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1.1903.

WITNESSES:

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NAIL-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed April 1.1903. Serial No. 150,581.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. CosTELLo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monessen, in the county of VVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Nail-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification, Figure I is a side elevation of a nail-machine made in accordance with my invention, only two sets of cutters being shown in order to save a confusion of lines; Fig. II, a horizontal section of the same on the line II II of Fig. III; Fig. III, a vertical section, the same taken at the left of the header 79 in Fig. I, portions being broken away to show the construction back of the plate 18; Fig. IV, a cross-section on the line IV IV of Fig. III, showing the manner of mounting the cutters; Fig. V, a crosssection on the line V V of Fig. III, showing the manner of mounting the gripping-dies; and Fig. VI, a section on the line VI VI of Fig. III, showing the means for operating the cutters.

My invention relates to machines for making nails from wire; and its objects are to provide a machine that will automatically produce a large number of nails at each cycle of operations.

My machine consists of the following parts: First, clamping mechanism for clampin or gripping the wire while it is being out, headed, and straightened; second, cutting mechanism for severing the completed nail from the wire; third, heading mechanism for making the heads of nails; fourth, wiper mechanism for removing the completed nails from the cutting-dies fifth, feeding mechanism for the wire; sixth, straightening mechanism for straightening the wire.

I. T he clamping mechanrism.The iron base 1 of the machine supports two high metallic vertical side plates 2 and 3, Whose forward ends are connected by a thick vertical metal plate 4, called the anvil-plate. The rear portions of the side plates 2 and 3 support the transverse operating-shaft 5, carry ing the large fly-wheel 6, the crank 7, and the cams 8 and 9. The anvil-plate 4 is providet with an annular series of holes 10, througl which the wires 11 pass from the rear to thr front of the plate, and an annular series of rectangular slots 12 elongated in the direction of the series and located radially, so that the holes are central between the longer sides of the slots 12. The holes 10 are located somewhat in advance in the direction of the movement of the hands of a clock of the center of the slots 12 longitudinally considered. Seated in the advanced ends of each of the slots 12 is the half 13 of the clamping or gripping dies, said half-die having the half-circular notch 14 in its gripping end, The dies 13 are adjustable longitudinally in the slots 12 by the screws 15, whose heads are in the slots 16 in advance of the slots 12, the screws passing through the walls 17 between the slots 12 and 16 and engaging the advanced ends of the dies 13. A wrench can be introduced into the slots 16 in order to turn the screws 15.

-The clamping or gripping plate 18 rests flat on the front face of the anvil-plate 4 and is mounted so as to oscillate on the bolt 19, fixed in the anvil-plate. The nut holds the clamping-plate on the bolt 19 and close against the plate 4. The clamping-plate 18 has a circular series of wide radial slots 20, provided centrally on their advanced sides with rectangular slots 21, directly in front of that part of the slots 12 which contain the dies 13. The wall opposite the slot 21 of each radial slot 20 is provided with two rectangular guides or lugs 22, which provide opposite the slot 21 a slot 23 between them for the reception of the second half 24 of the clamping or gripping dies. The plate 18 has slots 25 in the rear of the slots 23, in which are the heads of the screws 26, which engage the rear ends of the dies 24 in order to adjust the same. Screws 27 are threaded through one of each pair of lu s 22 and engage one side of each die 24 to c amp the same tightly in the slot 23. Thehalf-dies have half circular notches 28, which, with the notches 14 in the half-dies 13, form when closed together a circular hole in which the wire rests and is clamped, the hole being slightly smaller than the wire and somewhat roughened, so that the wire will be firmly held during the heading, cutting, and straightening operations. The half-dies 24 have their rear sides also in the slots 12, and both dies 13 and 24 rest with their rear sides or bases on the front walls or bottoms of the slots 12, which extend only partially through the anvil-plate 4, as shown in Figs. II and V. The notches 14 and 28 when gripping the wires 11 register With the holes in the plate 4, and the front faces of the dies 13 and 24 are preferably flush with the front face of the plate 18.

The lower edge of the gripping-plate 18 has several teeth 29, which gear with the oscillatory worm on the rock-shaft 31, extending transversely beyond the side 2 of the machine. The rock-shaft 31 carries a vertical fixed arm 32, connected by arearwardly-extending link 33 to the rocker-arm 34, pivoted to the side 2 at 35. A contractile spring 36 below the pivot tends to throw the upper end of the arm 34 forwardly, which through the link 33, arm 32, rock-shaft 31, worm 30, and teeth 29 rotates when unresisted the clamping-plate 18 anticlockwise, causing the half-dies 24 to recede slightly from the half dies 13, whereby the wires 11 are released preparatory to their forward feed.

The cam 9 on the shaft 5 is concentric with the shaft for about three-fourths of its circumference, the remaining part being of a less radius and connected thereto by abrupt shoulders 37 and 38. The shaft turns clockwise, and the cam is in Fig. I shown as just having drawn the upper end of the rockerarm 34 back, causing the clamping-dies 13 and 24 to securely grip the wire-for threefourths of a revolution of the shaft 5.

The arms 32 and 34 have slots 39, in which the pivots on the ends of the link 33 may be adjusted.

When wires of different sizes are used for making nails, the half-dies are adjusted by the screws 15 and 26 and the link adjusted in the seats 39, if necessary, and a different-sized cam 9 may be used, all of which'is clear. When the size of the wire made into nails differs but little, only one or two of the changes or adjustments may be necessary. Of course the half-dies 13 and 24 are exchanged for dies having the proper-sized notches 14 and 28 for the size of the wire.

The slots 12 are a little longer than the half-dies 24, as shown in Fig. V, to permit the dies 24 to separate from dies 13, and the slots 21 are long enough to permit access to the heads of the set-screws 15 and to permit the plate 18 to turn on the plate 4.

H. The cutting mcchanism.The anvilplate 4 has on each side of each slot 1.2 elongated slots 40 and 41, whose longitudinal centers are in alinement with the hole 10. On the rear side of the anvil-plate 4 and on the longer sides of the slots 40 and 41 are the ears 42, between which are pivoted on the pivots 43 pairs of cutter-levers 44 and 45, the former in the slots 40 and the latter in the slots 41. These levers extend forwardly through the anvil-plate 4 and the wireclamping plate 18, one lever on each side of each pair of half-dies 13 and 24. The 'movements of the levers 44 and 45 are at a right angle to those of the half-dies. On each side of the slots 40 and 41 are the undercut guideways 46, in which the tongues or wings 47 of the cutter or knife blocks 47 have reciprocation. The front side of each knife-block 47 carries a cutter or knife holder 48, provided with the thinned portions or wings 49, in which are the laterallyextending slots 50. Screwed fixedly into the front of each knifeblock 47 and passing up through the slots 50 in each of the knife-holders 48 are the bolts 51. Nuts 52 are screwed down on the bolts 51 and engage the fronts of the wings 49 and clamp the knife-holders 48 tightly against the knife-blocks 47. Screws or bolts 53 pass through forwardly-projecting ribs 54 on the sides of the knife-blocks and engage the edges of the wings 49 of the knife-holders 48. By means of these screws 53 the knife-holders may be adjusted laterally and rigidly held in place.

In order to make nail-heads of different sizes, it is necessary to cut off the proper length of wire in front of the half-dies 13 and 24, since the heads are formed by hammering down against the closed half-dies that portion of the wire in front thereof. The said portion of the wire is made longer by inserting fillers or sheets 55, of paper, tin, or the like, between the knife-blocks 47 and the knife-holders 48, as shown in Fig IV. This may be easily done by loosening the nuts 52, so as to provide sufficient space for the fillers, inserting the fillers, and tightening the nuts.

Dovetailed in the fronts'of the knife-holders 48 are the knives or cutters 56, whose cutting ends 57 stand on each pair opposite each other, so that when the edges 57 meet they will sever the wire and form a nail-point on the already headed nail. I

The forward end of each lever 44 and 45 has a bolt 58 passing through the same and against the adjacent face of the knife-block 47, as shown in Fig. VI. Each bolt 58 is threaded through the lever 44 or 45 andis provided with a j am-nut 59, which keeps the bolt 58 from working loose. By means of the bolts 58, which are adjustable, as described, in the cutter-levers the throw of the cutters 56 can be regulated. Headed bolts 59 may be used.

The sides of the cutter-levers are provided with ears 60, through which loosely pass the rods 61, pivoted at 62 to the knife-blocks 47, the rods being surrounded by springs 63, seated between the ears and a washer 64, held on the outer ends of the rods by keys 65. The springs allow the adjustment of the bolts 58 and withdraw the cutters when the cutter-levers 44 and 45 move in opposite directions after the cutters sever and point the nails.

The crank 7 is connected to the cross-head 66 by the pitman 67, made adjustable by means of the turnbuckle 68. The cross-head is connected to the center of a circular plate 69, called the cutter-lever-operating plate,

which is slidable on the guide-pins 70, extending rearwardly from the anvil-plate 4 and through holes in the plate 69. The plate 69 has long radial slots 71 in horizontal alinement with the slots 20 and 40 and 41 and are about the length of the slots 20, which are about as long as both of the slots 40 and 41 and the space between them. Through the slots 71 extend the rear ends of the levers 44 and 45, between which are located the rollers 72, rotatable on journals 73, fastenedin opposite sides of the slots 71. The rear ends of the levers 44 and 45 have inclines 74, whose surfaces approach each other rearwardly and lie in the paths of the rollers 72, so that when the plate 69 is at the rear ortion of its travel it will cause the rear en s of the levers to move away from each other, and consequently the cutters 56 to approach each other and sever the wires. A spring between the rear ends of the levers opens the cutters when the rollers leave the inclines 74.

H1 The heading meeham's'm.ln front of the machine so far described is a frame 76, supporting a piston 77, having a piston-rod 78, to the end of which is secured a header or hammer 79, operated by steam or other fluid. The header has an annular rim 80, standing opposite the annular series of holes 10 and notches 14 and 28 of the half-dies 13 and 24. Motor fluid passes to opposite sides of the piston 77 through pipes 81 and 82. The admission of steam and the exhaust thereof are provided for by the valve 83 of any wellknown construction, the detail 3 being omitted. The valve has the rearwardly-extending lever or arm 84, pivoted to the front end of the lever 85, pivoted at 86 to the under side of the bracket 87 on the side 3 of the machine. A pair of springs 88 on opposite sides of the lever serve to center the valve 83, so that no steam may pass the same.

The fly-wheel 6 is provided on its periphery with a pair of lugs 89 and 90, one in advance of the other and both havinginclines 91, which engage with a roller 92 on the under side of the lever 85. These lugs are close together, to that, after one lug has pushed the lever 85 one way to let steam to the right of the piston 77 the other lug will almost immediately push the lever to the left of the piston.

IV. The wiper meehan'ism.Journaled in lugs 93 on the side 3 of the machine is a rockshaft 94, provided with a wiper-arm 95 and a spring 96, which normally holds the arm 95 in the position shown in Fig. III against the stop-arm 95. The arm 95 stands up in front of the plate 18 and just out of the path of the header 79. The rear end of the rock-shaft 94 has an outwardly-projecting finger 97, which lies in the path of the lug or cam 98 on the inner face of the rim of the fly-wheel 6, the cam striking the finger 97 from beneath, causing the arm 95 to swing quickly in front of the,cutters and wipe off or dislodge any nails which may stick to the cutters or the wires.

V. The feeding mechanism.-Slidable on the pins 70 between the plates 4 and 69 is the feed-plate 99, provided with radial elongated slots in horizontal alinement with the slots 41 in plate 4, throughwhich slots 100 the levers 45 extend. The feed-plate 99 has its periphery lying just beyond the outer ends of the slots 41, and that portion of the plate 99 which closes the outer end of each slot 100 is provided with the sharp anvil 101 and a post 102, to which is pivoted a lever 103, having a forwardly-inclined chisel-tooth 104, between which and the anvil 101 a wire 11 is gripped. A spring 105 keeps the chiseltooth in contact with the wire.

One edge of the feed-plate 69 has a lateral arm 106 working in the slot 106 and joined at its outer end outside the side 2 of the ma chine by a bar or rod 107, which extends backwardly beneath and beyond the shaft 5 and is guided in the lug 108 on the side 2 of the machine. The bar 107 is adjusted by the turnbuckle 109. The cam or arm 8 on the shaft 5 engages the vertical finger or arm 110, adjustable by means of the set-screws 111 on the bar 107 and located at the rear of the shaft 5. A s i ring 112 is located between the lug 108 and the finger for the purpose of taking up the shock of the eamS and is not strong enough to actuate the feedplate 99. The cam 8 by engaging the finger 110 only draws the feed-plate 99.1'earwardly, the plate being driven forwardly by the engagement of the front face of the plate 69 with the ends of the bolts or feedregula tors 113 screwed into the back of the feedplate 99.

Diiferent-siZed-cams 8 will be used to give the feedplate 99 a rearward motion equal to the lengths of feed necessary to make a nail. This motion will not be as great as the throw of the crank 7, so that when the plate 69 moves backwardly it will for a time be at some distance from the ends of the bolts or regulators 113. If a longer or shorter nail is desired, the screws 1 13 are moved farther out of or into the feed-plate in order to vary the travel which the feed-plate will have after the plate 69 engages it on the latters forward movement. Of course a cam 8 will be used to make the proper backward movement of the feed-plate, and the finger 110 and the turnbuckle 109 can be adjusted, if necessary, to vary the stroke or movement of the feed plate.

VI. T he straightening mechrmtsm.-Upon the periphery of the feedplate 99 and in line with each anvil 101 and each cooperating chisel feed-lever 103 is a train of radially-extending straightening-rolls 114, the middle one being preferably adjustable transversely r of the wire 11. The wire passes between the motor fluid topass down the pipe 82.

I sesvei middle roll and the end rolls, asshown: The middle roll is set so as to make the wire bend to its limit of elasticity. I/Vhile the wire is tightly clamped in the half-dies 13 and 24, the feed-plate 99 moves back, causing the rolls 114 to put the wires which are to form the neXt set of nails under tension and so straightening them.

The operation is as follows: Let it be supposed that the wires have been headed and fed forward, as shown in Figs. I and II, for another nail length, and the wires just clamped by the half-dies 13- and 24. The crank 7 is just beginning to descend and draw the plate 69 rearwardly. The cam 9 has already pushed the upper end of the arm' 34 to the left, causing the link 33, arm 32, rock-shaft 31, and worm 30 to rotate the plate 18 clock wise sufficiently to bring the pairs of half-dies 13 and 24 together, whereupon the wires become securely heldfor the straightening, cutting, and heading operations. Immediately afterward the cam 8 engages the finger 110 and commences to draw back the feed-plate 99, the chisel-feeders sliding back on the wires 11, owing to the spring-actuated levers 103, while at the same time the rolls 1 14 straighten the wires. When the plate 99 has reached its rearward stroke-that is, has traveled the length of a nailthe plate 69 continues on rearwardly and soon the rollers 72 in the plate 69 engage the inclines 74 on the levers 44 and 45 and force the cutters 56 together to'sever the wires. Just asthe .wires have been cut the crank 7 has finished its rearward stroke and commences to move upwardly, carrying the cutter-lever-operating plate 69 forwardly. As soon as the rollers leave the incline 74 thecutters separate and occupy the positions shown on the drawings. As soon as the wires are cut off the lug 98 acts on the finger 97 of the rock-shaft 94 and causes the wiper-arm 95to sweep quickly in front of the cutters and dislodge any nails which may have failed to drop. As soon as the wiper-arm 95 has returned to its normal position the incline 91 on the lug 90 strikes the roller 92 on lever 85, which, acting through the arm 84, turns the valve 83 and permits The fluid drives the header 79 suddenly against those portions of the Wires 11 standing in front of the half-dies 13 and 24, causing each of said portions of the wires to become headed. No sooner does the header form the heads thanthe incline 91 on the lug 89 pushes I plate 99; but before this engagement takes place the first shoulder 37 of the cam 9 has passed the arm 34, and the spring 36' has caused a movement of the plate 18 in an anticlockwise direction, thereby releasing the grip of the half-dies 13 and 24 on the headed wires 11. Asthe plate 69 pushes the feedplate 99 forward the wires are gripped between the anvils 101 and the chisel teeth 104 of the levers 103 and pushed forward through the holes 10 to the position shown on the drawings where the feed has just been completed. The second shoulder 38 on the cam 9 has just acted on the lever or is just ready to act thereon to cause the wires to be gripped as a first act in another cycle of operations, which will be repeated ad Z'Lbt'twm, each'cycle producing as many nails as there are individual nail-making mechanisms.

While I have described my machine as having definite elements it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to restrict the same to the precise'elements shown.

Many changes may be madein my invention without departing from'thespirit thereof, and as I believe I am apioneer in the type of machine shown I do not desire-to be limited to the precise construction illustrated eXcept when the claims will permit of no other construction.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a wire-nail machine, an anvil plate provided with a series of slots, a wire gripping half-die in each of said slots, awire-gripping plate provided with a series of slots, a-

wire-gripping half-die in each of said lastnamed slots, the half-dies on one plate projecting into the slots of the otherplate, the slots being so arranged that the half-dies when therein are in pairs, the slots being long enough to allow movement of the movable dies toward and from the fixed dies and eachfiXed die standing directly opposite a movable die, means for feeding wires between the gripping-faces of each pair of'halfdies, and means for moving one of the plates so as to cause the pairs of half-dies to grip and release the wires.

2. In a wire-nailmachine, an anvil-plate, a circular series of half-dies secured'thereto, a wire-gripping plate, a circular series of supplemental half-dies securedthereto, the half-dies being arranged in pairs with opposing gripping-faces, and means for moving one of the plates about an axis concentric with each circular series of half-dies, so as to cause the pairs of half-dies to grip'and release the wires.

3. In a wire-nail machine, a pair of slotted plates, means thereon for gripping a-plurality of separatewires, levers extending through the slots insaid plates, cutters at one end of the levers arrangedso as upon actuation to sever the Wires at such-a distance in front of the plates as to leave material for the heads of the nails, and means operative in conjunc tion with the said levers to cause the cutters to sever the wires.

4. In a wire-nail machine, a pair of plates, means secured thereto for gripping a plurality of separate wires, said plates being provided with pairs of slots, levers extending through the slots, cutters at the forward ends of the levers, a third plate having slots through which said levers project, means for causing the said third plate to travel, and means in the slots of the third plate for actuating the said levers when the third plate travels.

5. In a wire-nail machine, a plurality of pairs of levers, cooperating cutters carried by each pair of levers, a movable plate, containing slots through which the pairs of levers project, inclines on the levers, and means on the plate between the pairs of levers to cooperate with the inclines and actuate the cutters.

6. In a wire-nail machine, a slidable cuttercarrier, a lever, an adjustable device on the lever for pushing the carrier in one direction and a yielding connection between the lever and the carrier to return the carrier and to permit adjustment between the lever and the carrier.

7. In a wire-machine, a pair of cutters, a plate for operating the cutters,and a wirefeeding plate, the first plate being engageable with the second plate to drive the latter in its wirefeeding direction.

8. In a wire-nail machine, a reciprocating plate, a wire-cutter, an operative connection between the plate and the cutter, a recipro eating wire-feeder, the plate being engageable with the feeder to drive the latter in its feeding direction, and means independent of the said plate for returning the feeder.

9. In a wire-nail machine, a reciprocating device, a wire-cutter, an operative connect10n between the said device and the cutter, a wire-feeder, the former driving the latter in its feeding direction, means independent of said device for returning the feeder, and means adjustable between the said device and feeder for varying the feeding travel of the latter.

1 0. In a wire-nail machine, a traveling wirefeeder, an actuator therefor which travels with and drives the feeder in its feeding direction, a lost-motion connection between the actuator and the feeder, the actuator having a longer travel than the feeder, means inde- 35 pendent of the said actuator for returning the feeder, a wire-cutter, an operative connection between the actuator and the cutter, and means between the feeder and the actuator for adjusting the distance of their contemporaneous travel.

11. In a wire-nail machine, an anvil-plate, circular series of stationary half-dies carried thereby, an oscillatory wire-gripping plate, a circular series of half-dies carried thereby, the half-dies being arranged in pairs and one of each pair being carried by each plate, teeth on the gripping-plate, a worm in mesh with the teeth, and means for turning the worm so as to bring the pairs of half-dies into cooperative relation with the wires so as to grip the wires neliminarily to other operations on the wires.

Signed at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, this 30th day of March, 1903.

WILLIAM J. COSTELLO.

WVitnesses:

A. M. STEEN, F. N. BARBER. 

